


Confounding Cormac

by sophh



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Sixth Year, POV Hermione Granger, Quidditch Team Tryouts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:33:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28858170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophh/pseuds/sophh
Summary: Hermione debates whether or not to Confound McLaggen. Or, the Keeper tryouts from Hermione's POV.
Kudos: 1
Collections: Hermione's Haven Bingo 2021





	Confounding Cormac

**Author's Note:**

> As I am unable to find my copy of HBP, some details may not quite align with canon, but I did my best through the use of Google and my memory. :P
> 
> Created for Hermione's Haven Bingo 2021. Prompt: Confundo (the Confundus Charm).

Hermione shook her head as she watched Cormac McLaggen positively  _ strut _ about the field. His boasts about his flying prowess were so loud that she could hear him all the way in the stands, and she had to resist rolling her eyes. There was no way that he could make the Gryffindor team. He would just cause headaches all around, and that was the last thing Harry needed right now. Unfortunately, his bragging was at least somewhat true, judging by the way he expertly maneuvered his broom to fly back and forth at a moment's notice. 

Hermione's fingers curled, almost unconsciously, around the wand in her pocket, and it was then that an awful thought struck her. She knew a way to prevent Cormac from making the team...but was it something she was morally comfortable doing?

As with all decisions, Hermione took the time to weigh the pros and cons. On the one hand, using the Confundus Charm felt rather akin to cheating, and Hermione Granger did _not_ cheat. On the other hand, she would be helping out a friend, which was never a bad thing in her book. 

Several candidates tried out, but none were all that stellar—definitely nowhere near the caliber that Gryffindor needed in a Keeper, at any rate. One poor fellow nearly ran into the center goalpost, and another kept squeezing his eyes shut whenever the Quaffle came within five feet of him. Cormac was starting to look like a rather good option at this point, but Hermione knew that Ron was a decent flier and would be a much better fit on the team. 

She held her breath as Cormac's name was called, and her eyes followed his ascent into the air. He could be a moving target if she  _ did  _ decide to Confound him, she realized. She would just have to wait and hit him when he was hovering in one place. 

Cormac saved one goal, then two. After he saved a third, Hermione made up her mind. She had to intervene—Cormac was a menace, and surely her friends, if they ever found out what she had done, would understand. 

While Cormac prepared to save his fourth goal, Hermione whispered,  _ "Confundo!"  _ At the last moment, however, Cormac went zooming off towards the left goalpost and her spell missed. She groaned quietly as he managed to save yet another goal. He was now up to four out of five goals saved, which meant that she only had one more shot to Confound him. As he flew back towards the center goalpost, she whispered the spell again, and this time she knew that she had hit him when he started slightly. 

This time, when Katie threw the Quaffle towards the right goalpost, Cormac went careening off to the left again. Several onlookers snickered, and Hermione allowed herself a small smile. Now, as long as Ron saved all five goals, he was in. It was a monumental task, considering Ron tended to get inside his own head and trip himself up. With the stakes so high, however, Hermione hoped that he would rise to the occasion. 

She held her breath each time Ron went to make a save, praying that he wouldn't fumble. But she needn't have worried. Ron saved every goal that the Chasers attempted, and Hermione let out a little cheer when he saved his fifth and final goal. He was officially on the team, and though it was in part thanks to her, she had resolved to never mention it to him. 

Hermione grabbed her bag and exited the stands to congratulate the newest member of the team. On her way over to Ron, she passed a sour-faced Cormac stomping off, but quickly shook off the guilt. 

"Well done, Ron!" she said, pasting a bright smile onto her face. 

Ron's face went pink. "Thanks, Hermione. Did you see that last save? It was really something, wasn't it?"

"Absolutely," Hermione agreed. "Look, I'm sure Harry will want to have a word with the team, so I'll meet you two back at the common room, okay?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Ron grinned at her, and she felt her own cheeks grow warm. Ron was clearly elated, and it felt good to know that she had made him so happy. As she walked off towards the castle, she pondered the other ways she could make him smile like that again.


End file.
